Improvement in fenders for vessels



r. woob & c. H. WENTWO'BTHV.

Patented Feb. 9, 18.75.

Fender for Vessels.

Fig-l e 5. as.

UNITED S'rA'rns FFIGE.

FRASER WOOD, OF BANGOR, AND CHARLES H. WENTWORTH, OF SOUTH ORRINGTON, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENDERS FOR VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,535, dated February 9, 1875; application filed October 2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRASER WOOD, of Bangor, and CHARLES, HENRY Wnnrwonrn, of South Orrington, in the State of Maine, have invented jointly a Device for Protectin g. the Stem of a Vessels Boat, to prevent it from thumping against and injuring the sides and stem of a vessel, of which the following is a specification:

The object of our invention is to construct an elastic covering for the stem of. a boat which shall act to prevent the boat from producing any damage to a vessel by thumping against the stem while the vessel is at anchor.

The device is illustrated more in detail in the drawings hereto annexed.

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawing is a perspective view of the stem and bows of a boat, with the stem-protector in place, as it will generally beused, Fig. 2 is a view of the stem and bows of a boat, with the protector removed, and showing the springs which operate to counteract the force of the boat striking against the sides and stem of the vessel. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bow of a boat, showing a sectional view of the protector, with the springs which operate between the stem and the protector.

In the drawing, similar letters refer to corresponding parts.

A is a base to support the boat. B is the bow of a boat. Ois hood or covering, put on over the stem. at is the stem. 12 is an arm of the protector, by which it is fastened to the boat and kept in place on the stem. 0 is a spring. d is a spring. 6 and f are recesses in the protector to receive the springs. g is the top of the stem. h h his the cavity in the protector which fits over the stem. 45 6 are bolts or screws by which the hood is held in place.

In order that others skilled in the art may be able to make and use our invention, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

We form of rubber, gutta-percha, or any suitable and sufficiently elastic material, a hood or covering, 0, formed with a cavity,

h h h, which shall fit loosely over the stem of the boat, leaving some space between the walls of the cavity and the stem. In this cavity are the recesses c and f, in which the springs c and 01 play, and operate to keep the hood at a little distance from the stem when the boat is at rest. The hood is furnished with two arms, one of which is seen at b, Fig 1. These arms are fastened to the side of the bow, and keep the hood in its place. There may also be a bolt or screw used in the top of the hood, as at t, if deemed necessary. The springs c and d may be either fastened to the stem of the boat and operate in the recesses e and f, or they may be fastened in the recesses and operate against the stem at.

1 In operation, the protector is placed on the stem to, with the springs c and 01 holding the walls of the cavity h h h at some little distance from the stem. The arms I) are fastened to the bow, and, if necessary, a bolt may be used I on top of the stem, as at t. When the boat is put into the water, the vessel is almost always at anchor, and the motion of the water keeps the boat thumping her stem against the stern and sides of. the vessel, thereby scarring the paint and injuring the letters composing the name of the vessel; but with this protector applied to the stem of the boat, it will be seen that the hood or covering of the protector, being formed of some elastic material, willnot scar the paint of the vessel, and when the boat drives onto the vessel, the springs yield until the walls of the inside cavity of the protector come in contact with the stem, thereby almost entirely neutralizing the force of the blow; and as the boat may at times come up under the quarter of the vessel, the top of the stem is provided with a spring, which acts in the same manner as the spring 01 acts when the boat runs against the stem of the vessel, so that the elasticity of the material of which the hood or covering 0 is constructed, and the action of the springs c and d, renders it almost impossible for a boat to strike a vessel with force enough to soar the paint, thus making a very great saving in the expense of repainting and preserving the beauty of the lettering and cesses and spiral springs within such recesses, ornamentation of the stem of the vesse What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi The rubber or elastic hood 0, formed with cavities h h h, adapting it to fit loosely on the stem of the boat, and provided with resubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FRASER WOOD. CHARLES H. WEN TWORTH. Witnesses:

FRED. H. OooMBs, PATRICK KELLEHER. 

